Case Studies

Wow, it’s March already. Is it just me, or is this year flying by? Despite the fast pace, or perhaps because of it, Milestone has been quite prolific since the start of 2013. The interesting part is what we’re doing.

As you probably know, we’re always busy building websites, designing logos, updating collateral materials, etc. Design projects always get more attention because they’re sexy. Most clients appreciate the value which makes them easier to sell, and the outcome – albeit subjective – is easily understood.

However, it’s the unsexy part of marketing that is the real driver of sales. Yes, pretty pictures will get your attention, but you need a compelling story to raise awareness, capture attention, establish value, and generate leads.

There are many different forms of copywriting; from headlines to taglines, from brochure copy to web page copy, from news releases to blog posts to social media conversations, until Google figures out a way to let you search for what you’re looking for without using words, written content is king.

One example of content creation that’s been keeping us busy is writing case studies. We typically package case studies as part of an annual PR plan that includes 12 press releases, 4 case studies, and monthly media management, but case studies are special because they can be used in so many ways.

Typically used for customer success stories, case studies provide an in-depth look at doing business with your company. They explain how your products work or why your service is better from your client’s perspective.

Once the case study is written, it serves multiple purposes. In printed form they work as sales literature to nurture a prospect, accompany a proposal, or hand out at a trade show.

They also support public relations efforts. From media kits to ready-to-go editorial content you can pitch to key publications in your market, case studies are an excellent way to tell your story.

But perhaps most-importantly these days is the fact that case studies are great content for your website. Again serving multiple purposes in many different forms, a good case study can be repurposed as an industry white paper to be used as a call-to-action, portions of it can be posted in a blog, quotes could be tweeted, and it could even be developed into a video production.

The bottom line is effective marketing is about effective communication. And while it’s true a picture can say a thousand words, more often than not you still need a few choice words to get your point across.

Until next week,

Matthew Anderson, President
Milestone Marketing Associates, Inc.